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Bring Back Kirk Newsletter – Issue #60 – September 2002
The OFFICIAL Newsletter of the Official Bring Back Kirk Movement
www.bringbackkirk.com | www.bringbackkirk.com/UK |
www.bringbackkirk.com/germany
Recognized as an Official Movement by: www.williamshatner.com
And Very Special Accolades to: stgn.strek.com | www.1701b.com
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HAILING FREQUENCIES OPEN
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Being a fan of science fiction on television means having your heart
broken at least once a year ... usually when the networks announce their
new fall schedules. At that time, several shows that fans are hoping
will be renewed get unceremoniously cancelled, and it’s rare for a
program to successfully jump to another network or feature films.

Of course, I don’t have to tell Star Trek fans about that. The
outpouring to bring back Trek when it was cancelled after its second
season in the 1960s is legendary and gives hope to every person who
feels his or her favorite show has been cut off before its time.

I was reminded of all this when I heard that Farscape, one of the
mainstays of the Sci Fi Channel on American cable TV, was abruptly given
the axe after four years on the air. For those of you who haven’t seen
the series for one reason or another, let me say that it has an ...
unusual view of science fiction. The male lead isn’t the ship’s captain,
and the characters have more than their share of trouble just working
together.

As such, Farscape has earned a special place in many fans’ hearts,
including mine. I’ve attended two conventions dedicated entirely to that
program, and the energy level at both gatherings was not unlike those at
Trek cons way back in the good old days.

One of my favorite things about Farscape is its many and hilarious
references to other science fiction, particularly Star Trek. The names
of Kirk and Spock are pretty regularly bandied about, and always with a
great deal of affection.

If you’re a fan of this terrific show, be sure to check out the third
story in the news section below to learn what you can do to try and
bring it back from cancellation. As those of us in the BBK movement are
aware, there are always ... possibilities!

On the second day of Creation Entertainment’s “Real Deal” Convention in
Las Vegas this past month, “Enterprise” Executive Producer Brannon
Braga, who co-wrote the movie “Star Trek: Generations,” admitted that
killing off Captain James T. Kirk was a mistake.

During his time onstage, Braga was asked: “If you could go back in time,
what advice would Executive Producer Brannon Braga give to Intern
Brannon Braga?” (Not a bad question considering Braga’s fondness for
stories that involve time travel.) His answer was short and sweet:
“Don’t kill Kirk!”

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time the producer had discussed
Kirk’s death as part of his appearance that day. Earlier, a fan had
asked him: “What did it feel like to kill Kirk?” “You know, I just met
William Shatner [backstage],” Braga joked, “and I’m not going to feel
comfortable telling you how it felt.”

We can only wonder what Braga thought as he left the stage to be
replaced by Shatner, who received a tumultuous ovation from the fans in
attendance even though several years have passed since his character
died.

What Braga needs to realize is that this mistake can be corrected. He
may not be able to go back in time and change history to avoid killing
off Kirk in the first place, but he CAN bring back Kirk one last time,
and not kill him off again. That would correct this terrible mistake,
Mr. Braga! The question is: Since you are brave enough to admit killing
Kirk was a mistake, are you also brave enough to do the right thing? Are
you brave enough to take the next logical step and CORRECT that mistake?

~ “GENERATIONS” GETS BBK ENDING ~

In an effort to continue to drive home the point that Kirk's death in
“Star Trek: Generations” meant nothing to the plot, a supporter of the
Bring Back Kirk campaign took it upon himself to do something about it.

In the tradition of the highly popular Bring Back Kirk trailer, the
campaign proudly offers to its members, free of charge of course, a copy
of the new ending of “Generations,” a redux of the final four minutes of
the film, edited so that Kirk doesn't die. You'll find that everything
we have said is true: Soran can still be stopped, Picard can be the main
hero, and Kirk can live without altering the plot one bit.

The video is in ASF format, so you will need the latest version of
Microsoft Media Player to play it, as well as a program that can unzip
the file, which is about 9MB long. It can be found here:

The Bring Back Kirk campaign would like to join science-fiction fans
around the world in expressing dismay at the cancellation of Farscape, a
weekly TV series that is produced for the Sci Fi Channel for American
cable TV.

This is to let our supporters know that a fan-run campaign is underway
to save the show. No one knows what it's like to see a studio make a bad
move regarding something popular more than we do, so if any of our
supporters would like to help these people out in their worthy cause,
feel free.

Most of you folks know that I really enjoy reading Star Trek novels
(especially since the “Shatnerverse” raised the books’ standard of
quality). Also, I’ve grown fond of audio versions, which use a reader’s
voice, background music and sound effects to create a “movie of the
mind” that’s usually more fun than the Trek I’ve seen in theaters for
several years.

Because the last “Shatner at al” hardcover came out more than 18 months
ago, I haven’t “heard” a good book lately (though “The Captain’s Peril”
will hit the stands in the next month or so). With that in mind, I
decided to pick up the CD of the latest Classic Trek hardcover, “The
Last Roundup” by Christie Golden.

Set between the end of “The Undiscovered Country” and the start of
“Generations,” the book opens with James T. Kirk retired and bored.
(Hey, THERE’S an original concept!) The good captain is teaching a class
on “Command Decisions and Their Consequences” at Starfleet Academy,
where he tells cadets that choices made in the final frontier usually
have deadly repercussions measured in all-too-human terms.

Kirk’s most earnest student is Skalli, a female from an emotional race
called the Huanni that just joined the Federation. At first, Skalli’s
hero worship really irritates James T. as he yearns to be back in charge
of a starship.

The captain gets another chance at adventure when long-absent nephews
Alexander and Julius invite him to join them in starting a colony on a
distant world they’ve dubbed Sanctuary. Since Spock is leading peace
talks with the Klingons, Sulu is across the quadrant on the Excelsior,
and Uhura is rehearsing for her part in a Klingon opera (!), Kirk
decides to go along, and he talks Scotty and Chekov (both between
assignments) into making the trip, too.

Kirk gets his first surprise when Skalli joins the group to watch “a
living legend” in action on a planet governed by the Falorians, an
offshoot of the Huanni. And he’d have gotten his second hint of trouble
if the Klingon ship following the expedition’s vessel hadn’t been
cloaked....

Before long, Kirk, Scotty and Chekov prove they don’t need “no steenking
Betazoids” to figure out that the secretive Falorians are hiding
something, and when the friends decide to infiltrate a nearby base, they
learn that their hosts are secretly working with the Orion Syndicate to
destroy the Huanni and cripple the entire Federation!

The threat eventually brings the former crew of the Enterprise back
together and helps Skalli grow up a lot. Still, everything boils down to
Scotty rigging a device to eliminate the enemy at the cost of killing
himself and his friends. Should Kirk push the button and make the kind
of sacrifice he told the cadets about at Starfleet Academy? Or is this a
time when the captain can’t save the day?

"Roundup" is the second good Kirk book I’ve read from a female author in
the past year, and that’s a trend I hope will continue. (By the way, the
other novel was “Cloak,” the Section 31 story by S. D. Perry.) I also
hope the tradition of portraying Kirk as a womanizing, slobbering creep
is gone for good with the return of the captain who is as thoughtful as
he is capable.

From the perspective of an audio, reader David Kaye does a great job of
getting the voices right without slipping into stereotypical portrayals
of Kirk, Scotty and Chekov. However, I do wish they’d find some new
background music, as I suspect I’ve heard some of the very same pieces
for several years now.

I also came away wishing that another old favorite had been in the
story: the Enterprise. It’s always fun to have Sulu in charge of the
Excelsior and Kirk and company making do with Klingon ships, but I still
consider the “Big E” a character in Trek, and it’s been a long time
since she put in an appearance.

Anyway, just when I feared that “Roundup” was going to tie everything up
a bit too cleanly and neatly, one of the new characters meets an
unexpectedly grisly fate. And the book ends with Kirk getting ready for
the launch of the Enterprise B, and we all know what happens there
(grumble). Still, I came away with my appetite whetted for the upcoming
series of novels that will take place between the “generations.” I
always did wonder how the universe got along without Kirk and the crew
of the original Enterprise!

When you mail your letters, we ask that you send a quick, brief note to
us at offic-@bringbackkirk.com to let us know, so that we can keep a
tally of the letters sent in! We do appreciate hearing from you!

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NOTICES
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If you are interested in contacting the campaign directly for any
reason, please do so by mailing offic-@bringbackkirk.com.

“Star Trek”® is a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures, a Viacom
Company. All related properties to the “Star Trek” franchise are owned
by Paramount Pictures, a Viacom Company. All other trademarks and
copyrights mentioned in this newsletter are the property of their
respective holders.

Some of the views expressed in this newsletter are the respective views
of the individual writer, and thus may not be the same as this
newsletter and its representing campaign, The Official Bring Back Kirk
Campaign, holds.

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FROM THE CAPTAIN’S CHAIR
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“Too much of anything, Lieutenant, even love, isn’t necessarily a good
thing!”